Paper and trash pickup tongs



N. V. HUNT PAPER AND TRASH PICKUP TONGS- June 14, 1949.

Filed Aug. 1, 194s Inventor I'll Patented June 14, 1949 UNITED sures. PATENT OFFICE Nelson V. Hunt, Colorado Springs, Colo. Application August 1, 1945, Serial No. 608,159

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in tongs, and more particularly to devices of this character adapted for picking up paper, cigar and cigarette butts and various other miscellaneous articles and debris from the floor or ground, whereby to eliminate the necessity for stopping for the purpose of picking up such articles.

An important object of the present invention is to provide pick-up tongs of this character adapted for use by custodians of parks and similar areas for removing loose trash in order to maintain the area in a neat and tidy condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in the form of a pair of tongs including a fixed jaw and a pivoted jaw mounted on relatively long handles and providing spring means for maintaining the pivoted jaw in an open position and finger-gripping means carried by the handle and connected to the pivoted jaw for moving the same into its closed position for gripping an object for the proper disposal thereof in a container, trash basket or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view showing the pivoted jaw in its open and closed positions.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numerals 5 and 6 designate a, pair of handles which may be constructed of fiat strips of wood, metal or other suitable inexpensive material, one side of the handle 5 having a pair of U-shaped guides I secured thereto, each guide being provided with a transversely extending pin 8 for slidable and loose fitting engagement in slots 9 formed in the handle 6, the handle 5 thus being slidable connected to the handle 5 in spaced apart parallel relation and with the 2 surfaces of the handle 6 at right angles to the surfaces of the handle 5.

The upper end of the handle 5 is formed with a hand grip it while the upper end of the handle 6 is formed with a finger grip H spaced below the hand grip Ill.

The outer surface of the handle 5 at its end opposite from the hand grip It) forms a jaw face i2 and the handle 5 adjacent the jaw face L2 is formed with an opening I 3 extending through a block I4 secured to the inner face of the handle and provided with a pivot pin I5.

A hook-shaped jaw designated generally at l6 includes a bill portion I! having a block secured to the end thereof also forming a jaw face cooperating with the jaw face l2, the jaw it also including a shank portion l9 pivoted on the pin 15. The inner end of the shank I9 is pivotally attached to the lower end of the handle 6 by means of a pivot pin 20.

A coil spring 2| connects the outer end of the jaw l6 to the handle 5 to yieldably urge the jaw in its open position, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawings.

In the operation of the device, when it is desired to pick up loose paper, cigarette or cigar butts, or similar trash, the handles 5 and 6 are moved into position to receive the object between the jaw faces l2 and I8 and the finger grip H on the upper end of the handle 6 is then pulled toward the hand grip l0, whereby to close the jaw l6 against the tension of the spring 2! and the jaw is held in its closed position until it is desired to release the object, such as by depositing the same in a trash receptacle or the like.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in the art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

Tongs of the class described comprising a pair of elongated handles of bar-like form one turned edgewise toward the broadside of the other, U- shaped guides carried by one of the handles with 3 cross pins therein, the other handle being slidable in said guides and having longitudinal slots therein through which said pins extend Whereby said other handle is slidably connected to the one handle, a hand grip the inner end of one of said handles and a finger grip at the adjacent end of the other handle and spaced from said hand grip, the outer end of said second named handle constituting a fixed jaw, a movable jaw pivoted to said first-named handle and including a shank extending transversely of said handle therethrough, spring means connected to the movable jaw to open the jaw, and means pivotally connecting the shank of the movable jaw to the outer end of the other of said handles and operable to close the movable jaw upon a movement of the finger grip toward the hand grip.

extending laterally at 6 NELSON V. HUNT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number 

